Get to know Tigers

They live in the dense forests of Siberia and roam the jungles of Malaysia. But things are not going well for these elegant cats of prey. Although the tiger has no natural enemies, it is threatened with extinction.

Because humans hunt it and destroy its habitat, which once stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

Fierce Hunters

All that tigers need to survive are forests, water and enough booty animals. The cats of prey are adaptable and can easily cope with large temperature differences.

Although they are generally heavier than lions, they move more smoothly and are more agile. Tigers also feel comfortable in water and are excellent swimmers.

Tigers are solitary animals that roam the forests at night in search of prey. Then they hunt – depending on their habitat – moose, wild boar, but also tapirs, monkeys or fish.

The prey is killed with a targeted bite in the neck or throat. A full-grown animal, which rarely lives to be over 25 years old in the wild, needs up to nine kilos of food per day.

The biggest cat on this planet

From formerly nine subspecies there are still five tiger species in the wild today. The largest of them is the Amur tiger. Adult males can weigh up to 300 kilograms and reach a height of three meters.

It takes its name from the Russian river Amur, which flows through the Transbaikalia region of Siberia. The habitat of the Siberian Tiger, as it is also called, originally stretched from Lake Baikal to the Sea of Japan.

Siberian tiger in the snow.the Amur tiger is also called Siberian tiger

A hundred years ago, thousands of them were still hunting in the dense forests. In the 1940s, there were only about 40 Amur tigers left. Today the population has recovered somewhat.

Animal welfare activists estimate that there are about 500 Amur tigers in the Russian East and on the border to China. Today they move on an area that is about half as big as Germany.

Tiger Endangerment

A little more than a hundred years ago, there were still about 100,000 tigers living in large parts of Asia. Today there are still about 3900 animals, extinct are the Bali, Caspian and Java tigers.

The South Chinese tiger is considered extinct in the free wilderness. According to the WWF species lexicon, experts assume that there are only a few isolated individuals, if at all.

Oil drilling pumps in Siberia. the habitat of the tiger becomes smaller and smaller

The last hope of preserving the species therefore lies on the few animals in Chinese zoos. The remaining five species now live in only 13 countries in Asia. Most of them are native to India, where it is estimated that there are about 1700 tigers.

The World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) assumes that less than ten percent of the entire original habitat is left. The reasons are manifold.

In some regions, for example, mineral resources such as coal or oil are extracted. Deforestation of the rainforest is also a major problem, as is the development of inaccessible areas by roads.

Poachers are also a great danger. They hunt the tigers because they can sell the body parts of the big cats well. Because claws, teeth, brain and other parts are processed into medicine in traditional Chinese medicine and are in great demand.

The hunting of tigers as trophies has cost many animals their lives, especially in the last century.

The IUCN red list puts the Tiger status to endangered:

All major conservation organisations have established tiger conservation programmes. Even the states where tigers live have declared themselves willing to do something against the extinction of the largest cat of prey on earth.

For example, protection zones are being set up and rangers are being deployed to put a stop to poachers, among other things.

Patches made of tiger bones, also patches made of tiger bones are sought-after medicines.

But the environmental organisations are also trying to make a political difference. For example, they are working to ensure that mineral resources are extracted more sustainably. Tourists can also do something for species protection by not buying souvenirs or medicine from tigers.

The measures of the large nature conservation organisations are showing at least small successes. With the Amur tiger the population is stable and also the Indochinese tiger has a chance to survive. But the danger that the biggest big cat of the world dies out is still not banished by far.

How dangerous are Tigers?

Approximately 100 people die every year due to attacks by tigers. It is probable that humans are often to blame for this themselves, because they provoke the animals.

For Tiger, a human being is a big animal. And when an animal is in his enclosure, the tiger wants to hunt it. Because he has an innate hunting instinct.

Nevertheless, there are people who can go into a tiger or lion cage without being attacked, for example tamers in the circus. They know their animals well and are something like the leader.

That is why wild animals respect them. But if a trainer, for example, stumbles and loses his position of power, it can become dangerous even for him. Also to strange tigers he would not dare to enter the cage. By the way, in the wilderness, animals only rarely attack humans. If, for example, a shark hurts a surfer, it is only because he mistakes him for a seal. You can see this from the fact that, unlike its usual prey, it does not eat it.

#1 Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India

India is home to seventy per cent of the worls tiger population, with Bental tiger population at 2226 during last cencus in 2014. The state of Madhya Pradesh is Indias Tiger State, it is located few hours south of Deli.

India offers one of the best Tiger spotting opportunities in the world, with over 50 Tier resorts, it is called the “Tiger State”.

Kanha National Park in the state of Madhya Pradesh is one of the most famous national parks in India due to its size. However, because of this size one does oneself hard to get the tigers hoped by every traveller also to face.

Unless one has nothing against the extremely questionable tiger show, where tigers are driven out of the undergrowth with the help of elephants, so that hordes of Indian families wait noisily with the car until the elephant is ready to carry the customers up to the tiger.

Apart from the waiting times, which can amount up to 2 hours, this arrangement is for really interested rather a farce animal protection can not function so!

However the park is worthwhile also independently of its tigers. One should let oneself in simply on the species-rich fauna. A tiger sighting is not everything!

How to get there: Kanha National Park is situated in the south-eastern foothills of the Satpura Mountains almost 165 km southeast of Jabalpur.

#2 Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India

The Bandhavgarh National Park is a national park in Madhya Pradesh, India. It covers an area of about 480 square kilometres and is located about 300 km south of Khajuraho in the Vindhya Mountains.

The park is considered one of the most reliable places to observe wild tigers.

The hilly landscape is dominated by a plateau on which once stood the fort of the Maharajas. Nearby there are grasslands rich in game, which originated from swamps that were once created to protect the fort.

Some of these swamps still exist. The rest is dominated by salt forests.

The best known animal species in the park is the Bengal tiger, of which almost 50 animals lived in the park in 1997. The big cats are not very shy and can be observed particularly well here.

A white tiger was caught in this area in 1957, whose offspring can be seen in zoos and circuses all over the world. Other predator species in the area include leopard, striped hyena, sloth bear, wild dog, reed cat, golden jackal, spotted musang and Indian mongoose.

How to get there: Durminskoye Reserve is located about two hours drive from Khabarovsk, in the South-Eastern part of Russia in Khabarovsk Krai.

#3 Satpura Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, India

Saptura Tiger Reserve is a very beautiful place in Madhya Pradesh. However, it is very unlikely to see Tiger, because there are only 50 tigers on 1200 sq kms National Park.

Even though the chances of tiger sightings in Satpura Tiger Reserve are not the highest, the park offers walking safaris, which are a unique way to experience wildlife.

This is a different kind of tiger sanctuary where there are so many differences in altitude and amazingly beautiful greenery, reminiscent of Robert Frost’s beautiful forests. There is a lot of wildlife here.

It is certainly an underestimated, but very beautiful place that is worth a visit. The drive to the place itself through the mountains is amazingly scenic.

How to get there: The Satpura Tiger Reserve, also known as Satpura National Park, is located in the Indian district of Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh.

#4 Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan, India

The Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve is one of 53 tiger reserves in India. The reserve includes Ranthambhore National Park, Kaila Devi Game Reserve and other small units. In total it covers an area of 1335 km².

The area is known for its Bengal tigers, which are not very shy and can be easily observed even during the day. Furthermore it is one of the most western occurrences of the striped big cat at all.

Who would like to see a tiger in Ranthambhore with some certainty, should have at least 2 days time. Nevertheless, some luck belongs of course to it to get one of the striped big cats to face. It is an enormously exciting experience!

A great variety of animals live in the park. However, the park is famous for its Bengal tigers. These animals have shed much of their shyness. Thus the chances are more than good to experience a wild tiger. These animals often appear here even during the day and do not hide themselves behind bushes or in the forest. It can be well possible that suddenly a tiger runs over the way. Of course, they still have the respect, this must also be.

However, beside the tigers, many other animal species live in the reservation and profit from the protection of the big cats. Four-horned antelopes, Nile gauz antelopes, Axish deer, Sambar deer, wild boars, Indian gazelles and monkeys find a home here. They are only threatened by the predators of the area.

Besides the Bengal tigers, sloth bears, honey badgers, hyenas, golden jackals, small mongooses and raw cats appear here, to name but a few. Many bird species live in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve all year round, but migratory birds also visit the area regularly.

They rest from their journey and partly spend the winter in India. Especially the dry forests and landscaped lakes are the meeting point for all kinds of birds. You can see herons, cormorants, kingfishers, peacocks, black storks, falcons and the majestic eagle.

How to get there: The nearest major cities are Kota 110 kilometers southwest and Jaipur 180 kilometers northwest. The park is located between the Banas and Chambal rivers.

#5 Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand, India

Corbett National Park is located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand at the foot of the Himalayas. It is named after the British hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett, who was instrumental in establishing the first national park in India near Nainital in 1936.

It was originally called Hailey National Park, but in 1957 it was renamed Corbett National Park after it was temporarily called Ramganga National Park from 1952. Corbett National Park covers almost 521 square kilometres. Together with the adjacent Sonanadi Conservation Area it forms the Corbett Tiger Reserve, which was established in 1973 as part of the Project Tiger.

The largest river in the park is the Ramganga, which flows into a large lake at the western border of the reserve. The landscape is characterized by wide valleys and hills. A chain of hills runs east-west in the middle of the area.

The main form of vegetation is the saline forests, at higher altitudes there are also some pine stands. In the lowlands there are riverine forests, whose stands are interrupted by grasslands, which are called “chaurs” by the locals. It is only open from November to June.

How to get there: Durminskoye Reserve is located about two hours drive from Khabarovsk, in the South-Eastern part of Russia in Khabarovsk Krai.

#6 Sundarbans-Nationalpark and Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India

West Bengal is home to one of the world largest tiger populations with over 350 tigers in a 140,000 hectare mangrove forest, close to the Bangladesh border. It is a world heritage site and visitors can take boat safaris.

The Sundarbans are the largest mangrove forests in the world and the only ones where Bengal tigers live and at the same time have been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 1987.

The name comes from Bengali and means “beautiful forest”. The Sundarbans cover an area of 10,000 square kilometres in the delta of the largest rivers in South Asia, the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. The Indian state of West Bengal shares the mangrove area with Bangladesh.

Among the mammals, the Bengal Tiger is also the absolute highlight in Sundarbans National Park. At present there are estimated between 350 and 400 wild Bengal Tigers in the Sundarbans. This is the largest remaining tiger population worldwide!

How to get there: The park is located in the Sundarbans in the Ganges Delta and borders the Sundarban Reserve Forest in Bangladesh.

#8 Bardia National Park, Nepal

Next to the Chitwan National Park, which is closer to Kathmandu, the Bardia National Park is located in the western part of Nepal.

The Bardia National Park can be explored on an elephant riding, hiking or jeep safari. Travellers should not be without a local safari guide. The entrance fee for the national park is usually included in a guided tour.

There are around 80 Tigers in the park. Bardia safari lodges offer walking and 4WD safaris. The walking safari for one day is more adventures.

How to get there: Located in the south west of Nepal, with an area of 968 km2 it is the largest wilderness area in Nepal’s Terai and borders on the eastern bank of the Karnali River in Bardiya district.

#10 Durminskoye Reserve, Chabarowsk Region Russia

The majestic Siberian Tiger, which is mainly found in eastern Russia or northern China, is the largest tiger species and cat on our planet. It is sadly also the most endangered.

In the 1940s they were hunted to the brink of extinction and only saved due to the new protection grant of tigers in Russia in 1965.

However, with only around 540 individuals left in the wild, the chance to see one is small.

Most of the Tiger Safari tours are based in Durminskoye Reserve,it is a 50.000 acre wildlife sanctuary a three hours drive from Khabarovsk in southeast Russia. It is the last prime habitat for Siberian tigers.

#12 Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia

The Kerinci Seblat National Park is twice the size of the famous Bali Island, which is well known for its tourists.

However, the National Park offers another Sighting, the Sumatran Tiger.

Around 200 Tigers roam in the wild, using Tourists as one factor to save their habitat and survival.

The fauna and flora of the Kerinci Seblat National Park are accordingly characterised by a great variety of species.

Numerous rare or even endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger, the clouded leopard, the tree leopard, the Sumatran rhinoceros, the Malay bear and the Malayan tapir are at home in Kerinci Seblat National Park.

There are also about 200 bird species. Among the more than 4000 different plant species that grow in Kerinci Seblat National Park are the giant reflower, the titan’s root, various orchids and the edelweiss.

How to get there: The main entrance and the national park office are located in Sungai Penuh. There you can get a visit permit and find hiking guides. Alternatively, accommodations in the surroundings of Kerinci Seblat National Park often help their guests to get a visit permit and reliable hiking guides.

Tigers in Zoos and National Parks

Wild animals make particularly high demands on their keeping and accommodation. In a circus enterprise, responsible keeping of wild animals is generally not possible.

Nevertheless, animals of wild species can still be seen in many circus operations that travel around the world: Tigers, lions, elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, sea lions or monkeys – the range of animal species carried along is large. Wild animals suffer in the circus.

They suffer massively,

that they have to perform feats for which they are often trained by force,

that they have to change venues 50 times a year on average,

that they spend most of their time in small cages, inadequate enclosures or in the transport wagon,

that essential species-specific behaviours such as social contacts or movement are considerably restricted or made completely impossible,

that they have little variety or occupation,

that they are often not fed and cared for appropriately,

that veterinary control or care is often inadequate because there are only a few specialised veterinarians for wild animals nationwide or the circus cannot or will not afford the treatment financially,

that in many cases the circus operators lack the necessary expertise,

that there is no fixed winter quarters during the play-free period. Only about every tenth company can call a winter accommodation its own.

The consequences for the animals are fatal: Massive damage to their health, severe behavioural disorders and increased mortality.

Summary

The tiger is the largest and at the same time heaviest species from the cat family.

From originally nine known subspecies, only six live with Bengal tiger, Indochinese tiger, Malaysian tiger, Siberian tiger, South Chinese tiger and Sumatran tiger.

The main reason for the strong decline of the tiger population is and remains the hunting by humans. The organs of the tiger are considered as remedies in the Chinese medicine.

On the illegal black market, products made of tiger powder achieve prices of many thousands of Euros.

Are you a fan of the African Continent? Have a look on the top Safari Parks in Africa were we collected everything about the best places to see wild animals.

If you want to make a difference today, raise awareness for these beautiful animals and join a ecological Tiger Safari Tour.